Mebceakdise-hastblimg apparatus



Feb. 3, 1931. J. J. SC'HERMACK MERCHANDISE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug.27, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 vwan roz Jasqbii J." Jc/ze rm self Feb. 3,1931. J, J. SCHERMACK 1,790,725

MERCHANDISE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 27, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2wuan'coz (f7? 3. 3513 %.a; i Z d 4 4 I Grmm s Feb. 3, 1931. J. J.SCH'ERMACK 1,790,725

MERCHANDISE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 27, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb.3, 1.931. J. J. SCHERMACK MERCHANDISE,HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 27,1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jaw/z I P up! TIF IF Suva-nice 2771061 1 PatentedFeb. 3, 1931 res V JOSEPH J. SCHERMAGK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TOAUTOMATIC MERCHANDIS- ING CORPORATION OF AMERICA, 01? NEW YORK, IN. 1.,A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MEBCHAHDISE DLING AIPPAB/ATUS Applicationfiled August 27, 1928. Serial N'ow 302,401.

This invention relates to coin Qmtrol actuating mechanism for dispensingapparatus and more particularly to actuating means for change makingmachines.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a relativelysimple and compact actuating mechanism which is efiicient in 0 erationand may be readily installed wit in the apparatus as a unit.

Another novel feature of construct-ion of this invention whichcontributes materially to the commercial value and acceptability of theapparatus resides in the means for displaying the coins prior todepositing the same in the receiving receptacle.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of thisinvention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds,especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my invention as applied to asuitable cabinet;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the rear side of the casing doorshowingmy improved coin controlled actuating mechanism applied thereto;I

Figure 3 is an enlarged rear elevation of a portion ofthe mechanismshown in Figure 2' Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of a portionof the mechanism disclosed in Flgure 3 showing the same coupled with asuitable dispensing apparatus;

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view showing the casing for the coinactuating mechanism swung-t0 open position;

Figure 6 is a sectional view showing the discharge passage for thecoins;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line7-7 of Figure 6.

While it will be apparent as this description proceeds, that the presentinvention is capable of numerous and diversified uses, nevertheless forthe purpose of illustration, I have herein shown this invention as usedin connection with a suitable change making apparatus. In thisconnection I have illustrated in Figure 1, a cabinetlO of any suit--able construction preferably having an opening adjacent the upper endthereof closed Interposed between the plate 16 and top Wall 14 of thecasing and rotatably mounted with respect to the latter, is a suitabledisk 18 having apertures therein, one of which being indicated at 19.The disk is so designed as to engage the lowermost article in certain ofthe tubes and-slide the same along the.

top wall 14 to a position opposite the adjacent openings 15. Thearticles will then drop through the openings 15 into a suitable hopper20 detachably secured to the casing 13 and adapted to communicate with asuitable receptacle 21 having an opening 22 registering with acorresponding opening 23 formed inthe lower portion of the door 11.

For rotating the disk to effect the foregoing operation, I provide ashaft 24 journalled within the casing 13 and having an enlarged portion25 upon one end thereof secured-to the disk 18 substantially centrallthereof.

Keyed to the opposite end of the shaft 24: is a suitable gear 26 adaptedto mesh with a corresponding gear 27 keyed to one end of the shaft 28.The opposite end of the shaft 28 preferably carries a suitable crank 29having the free end thereof adapted to engage in one of the apertures 30formed in a plate 31. As shown, the plate 31 is secured to a suitablegear 32 which in turn is journalled upon a bracket 33 secured as at 34to the coin controlled apparatus indicated generally at 35.

the shaft 37 and consequently the plate 31, j I provide a shaft 47journalled within the door 11 and having a handle 48 secured to theouter end thereof. As shown in Figure5 the inner end of the shaft 47 isadapted to detachably engage a shaft 49 journalled within the section 42of the casing and having a gear 50 keyed to one end thereof.- The gear50 is engageable with a suitable gear 51 mounted upon the mechanism 38.The mechanism 38 is normally held from rotation by means of a pivotaldog 52 having one end thereof selectively engageable with thediametrically opposed slots 53 formed in the ratchet plate 54.Projecting laterally from the dog 52 intermediate the ends thereof, is aprojection 55 terminating adjacent the periphery of the ring 45 asclearly shown in Figure 5 of the drawing. The arrangement being suchthat when a. coin is placed within the opening 44 the same will bedeposited in one of the pockets 46 formed in the ring 45 in a positionto engage the projection 55 of the dog 52 so that upon a slight rotativemovement of the ring 38 the coin will engage the projection 55 and swingthe dog out of latching engagement with the ratchet plate 54 and permitt e ring to be rotated'to a position wherein the coin is deposited inthe discharge passage 56.

Communicating with the discharge passage 56 is a suitable coin receivingpassage 57 communicating at the lower end thereof with a suitablereceptacle 58. As shown the lower portion of the passage 57 is providedwith a transparent wall 58 and is positioned in a plane substantially atright angles to the plane of the upper portion so that the coin-will beturned throu hout substantially 90 in travelling throug the passage, thearrangement being such as to position one of the flat sides of the coinadjacent the transparent wall 58'. Positioned upon the rear side of thedoor 11 is a suitable reflector 59 extending inwardly from the door atan angle thereto and spaced from the trans arent wall 58 of the passage57. Positione upon the reflector 59 is a suitable lens 60 having aspherical portion 61 projecting through a suitable opening 62 formed inthe door 11. With this arrangement as shown in Figure 7, it willbe'apparent that the coin will be reflected by the reflector 59' throughthe opening 62 in the door 11 so that the coin may be viewed from apositionexterior of the cabinet 10.

Moreover due to the fact that thelens 60 and after releasing the coinactuating mech anism.

To provide an efficient construction, means is provided for arrestingthe coin in the passage 57' opposite the reflector 59. This meanscomprises a plunger 63 slidably mounted within a boss 64 formed upon onewall of the passage and having the outer end thereof connected to asuitable bell crank lever 65 pivotally mounted as at 66. The free end 67of the bell crank lever preferably is yieldably held into engagementwith the periphery of the plate 31 which is provided with a series ofspaced notches 32. The arrangement being such that when the free end 67of the bell crank lever is in engagement with one of the notches 32 asshown in Figure 2, the plunger 63 will be in the position illustrated inFigure 7 to hold the coin adjacent the transparent wall 58-. However,upon actuating the coin controlled mechanism the member 67 will be movedout of engagement with one of the notches 32 and assume a position u onthe periphery of the plate 31, thus roc ing the bell crank leveraboutthe pivotal connection 66 and moving the plunger 33 out of the passage57 to permit the coin to be deposited within the receptacle 58. Thearrangement of parts being such that the lunger 63, upon rotation of theplate 31 will e moved into engagement with the passage 57 before thecoin is discharged from the coin retaining ring 45 and will be held inthis position until another coin is placed within the retaining ring 45and the plate 31 again .rotated to move the free end 67 of the bellcrank out of engagement with one of the notches 32 and thereby move theplunger 63 out of engagement with the passage 57 to permit the coin inthe latter to' fall within the receptacle 58.

Thus from the foregoing it will be apparent that the plate 31' inaddition to actuating the change making apparatus also functions to holdthe coins in a position where they-may be viewed by the operator..Moreover it will be apparent that the device may be readily attachedand detached from the casing and is so mounted within the latter thatit'ma be inspected at frequent intervals without the necessity ofdisassembling any of the parts thereof. It will further be noted thatthe amount of rotation of the plate 18 upon one complete cycle ofoperation of the coin actuated mechanism 38 is governed by theparticular position of the openings 30 in mamas the plate 31 and thethrow of the crank 29. As a consequence the extent of rotation of theplate 31 may be varied by interchanging the latter and crank 29 forparts of the desired design and the mounting of these parts is such asto facilitate interchangeability. \Vhile it is believed that from theforegoing description, the nature and advantages of the invention willbe readily apparent, I desire to have it understood that I do not limitmyself to what is herein shown and described and that such changes maybe resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In combination, a coin receiving passage having a wall provided witha transparent portion, coin controlled actuating mechanism fordischarging coins from said passage, a disk having a series of notchesin the periphery thereof and operatively connected to said actuatingmechanism, a plunger projecting through one wall of said passage forarresting a coin therein opposite the transparent portion, and a bellcrank lever having one end engageable with the periphery of the disk andthe opposite end connected to said plunger for actuating the same.

2. In combination, a coin receiving passage having a transparent portionfor displaying a coin, coin controlled actuating mechanism fordischarging a coin from said passage, a plunger projecting into said passage for arresting the coin opposite said transparent portion, anarticle dispensing apparatus, and a disk operatively connected to saidactuating mechanism for operating said plunger and the articledispensing apparatus simultaneously.

3. In an article dispensing mechanism the combination of a rotarymember, a hand piece, a train of mechanical connections between saidhand piece and said rotary memher, a rotary article-controlling device,a train of mechanical connections between said rotaryarticle-controlling device and said r0- tary member, a coin-receivingpassage having a transparent wall portion, a detent for arresting thecoin in said passage opposite said transparent wall portion, and a trainof mechanical connections between said rotary member and said detent.

4. In an article dispensing mechanism the combination of a rotarymember, a finger piece for operating the same, a rotaryarticlecontrolling device, a train of mechanical connections betweensaid rotary article-controlling device and said rotary member, acoinreceiving passage having a window, a detent for arresting the coinin said passage opposite said window, and mechanical connections betweensaid'detent and said rotary member effective to withdraw said detent atpredetermined intervals.

5. In an article dispensing mechanism the combination of a rotarymember, a hand piece, a train of mechanical connections between saidhand piece and said rotary member, a rotary article controlling device,a train of mechanical connections between said rotaryarticle-controlling device and said rotary member, a coin receivingpassage having a transparent wall portion, a detent for arresting thecoin in said passage between said detent and said rotary membercomprising a bell crank engageable with regularly spaced actuatingdevices on said rotary member effective to Withdraw said detent atpredetermined intervals during a single rotation of said rotary member.

In testimony whereof I JOSEPH J.

affix my signature. SCHERMACK.

